1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and in particular to an improved indoor unit for an air conditioner, capable of stably exhausting air which is flows into grilles, and is easily fixed to a desirable location.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
Generally, an air conditioner refreshes indoor air by using cool and warm air generated in a heat exchanger. The air conditioner is divided into two types, one is a separate type in which an indoor unit and an outdoor unit are separated from each other, and the other is an unified type of which the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are a single unit.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional indoor unit for the air conditioner. As shown therein, in the indoor unit 10, a plurality of grilles 1 are installed in the front and upper parts thereof at predetermined intervals for inhaling air. In order to perform a heat exchange of the air flowing through the grilles 1 and to generate cooled or heated air currents, a heat exchanger 2 is installed inside the grilles 1. The heat exchanger 2 is incised into two parts, of which one part is positioned in the direction of the grilles 1 which are in the front part of the indoor unit 10, and the other part is installed in the vertical direction thereof. In addition, the indoor unit 10 includes a cross flow fan 3 for generating dynamic pressure by forming a vortex flow while rotating clockwise, a rear guide 4 for restoring the dynamic pressure to static pressure, and a stabilizer 7 for dividing a suction unit and an exhaust unit. Also, a drip pan 5 for holding condensed fluid generated from the heat exchanger 2, and a drain-hose (not shown) are positioned at the lower part of the heat exchanger 2.
The operation of the indoor unit 10 of the conventional air conditioner will be described.
When the cross flow fan 3 rotates and forms the vortex flow, the air flow, of which air is exchanged in the heat exchanger by the vortex flow, is flowed and becomes stable through the rear guide 4, thus being exhausted to an exhaust outlet 6 by the rear guide 4 and the stabilizer 7.
In order to stably exhaust the air current from the indoor unit to a room, the center of the vortex flow generated by the rotation of the cross flow fan 3 should be positioned in the vicinity of the exhaust outlet 6, thus stabilizing the flow by clearly dividing the suction and exhaust and reducing noises.
The rear guide 4 controls a location of the center of the vortex, and the location thereof is determined by a location of a leading edge L, that is a point from which the rear guide 4 starts to curve as well as a nearest point to the cross flow fan 3, thus settling stability of the whole flow and a noise level. The leading edge L from which the rear guide 4 starts to curve is located within an angle of 10 degrees and an angle of 40 degrees from a right horizontal line of the center of the cross flow fan 3.
However, the conventional indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner, wherein air is flowed through the grilles 1 installed in a suction intake and exhausted after the heat exchange is performed by the heat exchanger 2, is suitable for being fixed to a wall, but not to a ceiling or onto a floor due to its structural problems such as a drip pan location, locations of the suction intake and exhaust outlet, etc,. To make up for such problems of the indoor unit 10 as shown in FIG. 1, another indoor unit of the air conditioner was provided.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of another example of the conventional indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner. As shown therein, a plurality of grilles 1' are installed in a front part of the indoor unit 10' at certain intervals so that air can flow, and a heat exchanger 2' is installed inside the grilles 1'. The heat exchanger 2' is tilted downward towards a side of the grilles 1'. A cross flow fan 3' is positioned below the heat exchanger 2' to generate the dynamic pressure by which the air current, of which air is exchanged while passing through the heat exchanger 2', is whirled, and a rear guide 4' for restoring the dynamic pressure to the static pressure is positioned at the rear of the cross flow fan 3'.
In addition, a stabilizer 7' of a predetermined shape is installed in the front of the cross flow fan 3' in order to stabilize the air flowing into an exhaust outlet 6'.
A drip pan 5' is positioned right above the heat exchanger 2' in order to hold the condensed fluid generated from the heat exchanger 2' when the indoor unit 10' is fixed onto the floor, and a front wall 8 is provided above the stabilizer 7', attached to the grilles 1' as a single unit, to hold the condensed liquid in case where the indoor unit 10' is fixed to the ceiling.
A leading edge L' shows a point from which a curve of the rear guide 4' starts.
Since the operation of the thusly described indoor unit 10' of the air conditioner is identical to that of the indoor unit 10 as shown in FIG. 1, the description thereof will be omitted.
The conventional indoor unit 10' depicted in FIG. 2 is a convertible type, adequate for being fixed to a desirable location (the floor, ceiling, or wall), while the conventional indoor unit 10 depicted in FIG. 1 can only be fixed to the wall.
However, as shown in FIG. 2, the inflow speed of the air flowing into the heat exchanger 2' through the grilles 1' is not uniformly distributed, thus generates the noisy sounds.
Additionally, the leading edge L' of the rear guide 4', determining the location of the center of the vortex flow, is not positioned at an optimum location, thus the air flow becomes unstable.